Hunton boosts LA, London for push into Asian market

Hunton & Williams is to make London and its new Los Angeles (LA) offices the axis for its Asian work as the US firm looks to expand its presence in the region.

Firm chairman Thurston Moore told The Lawyer: “London and Los Angeles are going to be very important for our Asian operations – they’ll be our axis of rotation for the region as we look to grow.”

“Asia is a very exciting prospect to us, and while the work is still a lot of interfacing with Western clients, a California presence not only completes our US coverage but it ties in beautifully with what we want to achieve in Asia.”

Hunton last week completed its plans for geographic coverage of the US via a merger with independent litigation boutique O’Donnell & Mortimer, making LA its thirteenth US office and its eighteenth worldwide (www.thelawyer.com, 5 September).

Moore said the firm would look for lateral hires to boost the firm’s energy, life sciences and structured finance practices in LA, in addition to the litigation associates moved into the office.

The expansion comes as Hunton faces upheaval in its Miami office, with Greenberg Traurig and Holland & Knight raiding the office for a total of four partners.

Health law partners Maria Currier, Alberto Hernandez and Robert Pupo announced their move to Holland & Knight on 6 September, while corporate partner Enrique Martin and of counsel Allen Moreland left for Greenberg.